This invention relates to a monorail system having a rail for a vehicle which is provided with at least one rubber tired or resilient drive wheel. In all known rail vehicles, there is a risk of skiding on ascending and descending sections, as well as during a fast start. In mountain trains, this is eliminated by means of auxiliary racks between the rails and auxiliary pinions. This solution, however, requires devices which make for a correspondence between the pinion teeth and the rack teeth. Such involved devices may be justifiable for large trains and mountains trains, but not for small vehicles, such as those in recreational facilities, as well as in trolleys which have to negotiate considerable inclines within plant conveyer systems.
It is, therefore, the object of the invention to form a rail for a vehicle so that great ascending and descending sections may be negotiated with little expenditure, and that even with fast acceleration and deceleration, the rubber tired drive wheel does not slide even in extremely severe weather conditions, such as when there is rain, snow or ice on the rail. This is solved by providing the rail bearing surface for the drive wheel with recesses forming gripping edges. The gripping edges form a stable frictional form fit for the rubber tired drive wheel, and are preferably arranged in the area of ascending and descending sections of a rail installation, as well as in those areas where the vehicles must be accelerated and decelerated.
The recesses are, preferably, arranged in a separate rail bedding joined to the rail bearing surface. This rail bedding may have a ramp-like configuration in the transitions to the bearing surface and consists, preferably, of a flat profile provided with the recesses and attached to the rail bearing surface by means of rivets. In order to increase effectiveness, the gripping edges may be formed as elevations or ridges positioned at right angles to the rail, and jutting out past the surface of the rail bedding, in that area of the recesses which face the valley in ascending and descending rail installation areas. The recesses facilitate the reception of dirt and ice which might impair the efficiency of the gripping edges. The recesses may consist of long holes positioned at right angles to the course direction, or in a zig-zag arrangement. They may also be round and offset from each other in the course direction, as they are not as wide as the rail bedding.
Preferably, the rail bedding is made of high strength steel. It may also be made of carbon steel, which is subsequently galvanized. Galvanization is preferred, especially in recess areas, due to its imperviousness. The recesses of the rail bedding may be made by punching. At the same time, the mentioned elevations may be brought about by proper design of the punch or blanking tool. Gripping edges of this kind permit rubber tired vehicles to negotiate inclines of about 50% and above. Even icing on the rail due to freezing rain at temperatures below the freezing point does not affect passage of the vehicles, as the sharp gripping edges, upon pressure against the wheel of the vehicle, penetrate the ice, and thus establish contact with the wheel. No heating of the rail is required. The rail bedding may be adapted to the vertical curvatures of the rail by simple bending, and may be easily adapted to the horizontal curvatures by incisions in the adjacent wall areas.
The gripping edges of the rail bedding are especially effective with drive wheels with elastic tire treads made of rubber or Vulkollan (i.e. natural, synthetic, or thermoplastic rubber); such resilient drive wheels cause only a low noise level not exceeding 65 dBA (decibels). Furthermore, there is little wear on the wheel treads, as well as on the rail bedding.
Several examples of the invention are shown in the drawings, and explained as follows.